Squeegee vacuum pickup unit for mobile window washer

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a vacuum squeegee pickup for a window washer device including a housing having suction means connected thereto, the housing further having a mouth with first and second spaced flexible elongated means on said mouth, the housing connected to the device and disposed with the flexible elongated means positioned obliquely with respect to the direction of travel of the device.

Unite States Patent 1111 3,604,049

[72) inventor Frank W. Hetman [56] References Cited 3,019 462 2/1962Nash et a1. 15/401 X [22] Filed Mar. 17, 1969 I [45] Patented Sept. 14,i971 3,345,672 10/1967 La Mers et a1. 15/321 X [73] Assignee AlpanaAluminum Products, Inc. FOREIGN PATENTS Minneapolis, Minn. 634,674 3/ 1950 Great Britain 15/401 569,799 2/1933 Germany 15/321 PrimaryExaminer-Walter A. Scheel Assistant ExaminerC K. Moore A!torneyWicks &Nemer [54} SQUEEGEE VACUUM PICKUP UNlT FOR MOBILE WlNDOW WASHER T: Th 19 Claims 11 Drawing Figs ABSTRAC e disclosure re ates to a vacuumsqueegee pickup for a window washer device including a housing having[52] US. Cl 15/302, suction means connected thereto, the housing furtherhaving a 15/320, 15/374, 15/401 mouth with first and second spacedflexible elongated means [51] lnLCl A471 11/00 on said mouth, thehousing connected to the device and [50] Field of Search 15/103,disposed with the flexible elongated means positioned 302, 320, 321,322, 401, 1.7, 353, 375 obliquely with respect to the direction oftravelof the device.

PATENTEBSEHMH 3504.049

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVEN'IOR. FRANK W. HE TMA/V cw, Que a4, 0

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PATENTED SEPMIQ?! 504 049 sum 2 or 3 INVEN'I'UR. FRANK w HE TMAN BY Ma,x -wm A TTORNEYJ PATENTED SEPI4I97I 3504;049

sum 3 OF 3 ATTORNEYS SQUEEGEE VACUUM PICKUP UNIT FOR MOBILE WINDOWWASHER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to window washersmoved over window and wall surfaces and more particularly to thesqueegee unit thereon having a vacuum pickup. It is an object of theinvention to provide a squeegee unit having a vacuum pickup between apair of squeegee blade formations, the squeegee blade formations beingmounted on the washer device so that the same are oblique to thedirection of travel of the device. With the oblique mounting of thesqueegee blade formations the window and wall surfaces are wiped cleanand the vacuum picks up the cleaning fluid and dirt. Additionally, theobliquely positioned blades are progressively forced over crossbars,raised portions or depressions such as joints of a window surface whichlie normal to the direction of travel of the device. At the point ofcontract of the blades with the crossbar or the like, the blade edgeportions are distorted temporarily out of shape. At the point ofdistortion of the blade a relatively small opening is formed and due tothe small restricted size of the opening a venturilike passage is formedat the crossbar or raised window portion through which air is suckedinto the vacuum housing at an accelerated rate which very effectivelydraws cleaning fluid and dirt at the edge of the crossbar progressivelyacross the bar as the washer travels over the window and wall surfaces.As the blade passes over any raised portion of a window or a depressedportion such as a joint disposed normal to the direction of travel ofthe device a ven-- turi condition is created with the benefit asoutlined above.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed inthe course of the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of awindow washer unit having a vacuum squeegee pickup embodying theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1, a portion ofwhich is broken away.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a squeegee blade as itmoves over a raised horizontal cross member on a window.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a window washer unit illustratinga further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 6, a portion ofwhich is broken away.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of a window washer unit illustratinga further embodiment of the invention, portions of the washer unitidentical to those of FIGS. 1 and 6 being broken away.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view on the line Ill-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view on the line 1 Ill of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawing in detail, the window washer Whaving the vacuum squeegee pickup unit A includes the washer housing 12formed of the spaced sidewalls 14 and 16 connected by the rear wall 18.Mounted on the housing 12 is the rotatable cylindrical brush 20 drivenby the motor 22 through the chain 24 mounted on the gear 26 of the motorand the gear 28 mounted on the end shaft 30 of the brush. Furtherprovided is the plurality of spray nozzles 32 mounted on the liquidsupply tube 34 to which a supply of fluid is pumped by conventionalmeans not shown, one form of which is disclosed in application Ser. No.553,351.

The lower ends of the sidewalls are connected by a bottom wall 33, andthe upper ends of the sidewalls are connected by a top wall 35. Thenumeral 36 designates a tank mounted on the lower end of the housingwhich contains a supply of cleaning liquid pumped to the nozzles 32 andcirculated back to the tank by means such as shown in application Ser.No. 553,351. The housing 12 has mounted on the front edge of thesidewall 14 of the flap 38 and on the front edge of the sidewall 16 theflap 40 which maintain spray and water vapor within the unit. One ormore squeegees such as 42, 44 and 46 are connected at the ends thereofto the sidewalls l4 and I6 and extend horizontally across the housing.

The squeegee water vacuum pickup unit A includes as a part of the vacuumhousing 47 the first upper flexible blade 48 affixed at its inner edgeto the outer edge 49 of the first upper wall 50 of the vacuum unit. Theupper wall 50 and the blade affixed thereto are obliquely disposed tothe wall 16 and the direction of travel of the washer unit W. Furtherprovided is the first lower flexible blade 52 affixed at its inner edgeto the outer edge 51 of the first lower wall 54, the wall 54 beingspaced from and parallel to the wall 50. The outer end of the firstupper wall 50 has formed thereon the flange 56 which is secured to thewall 16, and the outer end of the lower wall 54 has formed thereon theflange 58 which is secured to the wall 16. The upper wall 50 and thelower wall 54 are connected at the rear edges thereof by the rear wall60. The blades 48 and 52 form an acute angle relative to the wall 16 andthe direction of travel of the unit W.

The numeral 62 designates a second upper flexible blade affixed at itsinner edge to the outer edge 64 of the second upper wall 66 of thevacuum unit. The second upper wall 66 and the blade affixed thereto areobliquely disposed to the wall 14. Further provided is the second lowerflexible blade 68 affixed at its inner edge to the outer edge 70 of thesecond lower wall 71, the wall 66 being spaced from and parallel to thewall 71. The outer end of the second upper wall 66 has formed thereonthe flange 72 which is secured to the wall 14, and the outer end of thesecond lower wall 70 has formed thereon the flange 74 which is securedto the wall 14.

The upper wall 66 and the lower wall 70 are connected at the rear edgesthereof by the rear wall 76. The blades 48 and 62 form a first or upperfollowing blade and the blades 52 and 68 form a second or lead blade.The blades 48, 62, 52 and 68 together with the walls 50, 51, 66 and 71and the rear walls 60 and 76 form a suction chamber. It will be seenthat the inner end of the first upper blade 50 abuts the second upperblade 62 adjacent the inner end thereof and the inner end of the firstlower blade 54 abuts the second lower blade 68 adjacent the inner endthereof. The pair of blades 50 and 54 together with the pair of blades62 and 68, respectively, form obtuse angles each obliquely positionedwith respect to the walls 14 and 16 which walls are parallel to thedirection of travel of the washer W over the window and wall surfaces ofa building. The disposition of the walls 50, 54, 66 and 70 together withblades 40, 54, 62 and 68 form a V-shaped mouth squeegee opening 78 forthe vacuum housing 47 with the apex of the V extended in the directionof travel.

Secured to the top wall 35 of the washer W are the eyes 80 and 82 towhich cable means are connected for moving the washer over the windowand wall surfaces of a building by means of a powered winch or the likelocated on the top of the building. The washer may also be moved overthe window and wall surfaces by means of drive means such as disclosedin application Ser. No. 553,35 l in a vertical or horizontal travel.

At the juncture of the rear walls 60 and 76 of the vacuum housing 47 isthe suction port 84 connected to the housing 86 in which is mounted aconventional vacuum motor which produces the suction and vacuum betweenthe blades of the vacuum housing 47 as referred to hereinafter.

As the washer W is moved over the window and wall surfaces of a buildingthe brush 20 and fluid from nozzles 32 cleans the surfaces. Thehorizontal squeegees 42-46 remove the greater portion of the fluid fromthe surfaces; The unit A operates as a final and complete squeegeeingand pickup of fluid and dirt from the windows of the building. As theunit A is caused to move as indicated by arrows in FIG. 1, cleaningfluid upon the windows is caused to travel along each of the squeegeeblades 52 and 68 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. I. The fluid movesto the outer ends of the blades 52 and 68 when the suction existing atends of the blades draws in the fluid. The fluid is sucked through thevacuum housing 47 to and through the suction port 84 into the suctionhousing having a conventional motor and suction fan from which it isexhausted through outlet 88.

When the washer W moves over window surfaces, it encounters horizontalcrossbars separating sections of glass or wall or raised or depressedportions such as joints. This poses a problem for a washer with any formof a squeegee blade positioned normal to the direction of travel of thewasher unit, for such a blade meets the crossbar, for example, full onwith the blades moved over the crossbar simultaneously throughout itslength, for both crossbar and blades are parallel. This not onlyproduces a shock effect but the vacuum pickup at the edges of thecrossbars is not efficient and dirt and some cleaning fluid remains uponthe edges of the crossbar. The dirt that remains may run down upon thewindow below during the next fall of rain. With the blades disposedobliquely to the line of travel, the same clean the surface. Further,with the present invention the blades of the unit A contact and arerigidly and progressively forced over the cross bar or raised portion ofa window at an angle. At the point of contact of the blades with thecrossbar 90 of the window, as an example, the blade edge portions aredistorted temporarily out of shape whereby the same can be forced overthe bar 90, FIG. 5 in particular. At the point of distortion of theblade at the bar away from the window and bar surfaces an opening X isformed, and due to the small restricted size of the opening X aventurilike passage is formed at the edge 92 of the bar at X" throughwhich air is sucked into the housing at an accelerated rate which veryeffectively draws in dirt and water, which is at the edge 92 of thecrossbar, progressively across the bar as the unit A moves over thewindow and wall surfaces. This is also true of the following blades 48and 62 as the same obliquely pass over a bar of a window or wallsurface. In FIG. 5 the blade 66 is in contact with the window W and bar90 except as at X. Due to the oblique disposition of the blades 52 and68, water on a window being cleaned is squeegeed and caused to traveloutwardly and to the ends of the housing 47 as indicated by arrows inFIG. 1 where it is picked up by suction as described.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention in which isshown the window washer Wa which is identical to washer W except for thevacuum pickup unit B. The identical parts of the washer Wa bear the samereference numeral as used relative to washer W but accompanied by alowercase letter a.

The squeegee water vacuum pickup unit B includes as a part of the vacuumhousing 96 the first upper flexible blade 98 affixed at its inner edgeto the outer edge of the first upper wall 100 of the vacuum unit. Theupper wall 100 and the blade thereon are obliquely disposed to the wall16a and the direction of travel of the washer Wa. Further provided isthe first lower flexible blade 102 affixed at its inner edge to theouter edge of the first lower wall 104, the wall 104 being spaced fromand parallel to the wall 100. The outer end of the first upper wall 100has formed thereon the flange 106 which is secured to the wall 160, andthe outer end of the lower wall 104 has formed thereon the flange 108which is secured to the wall 16a. The upper wall 106 and the lower wall104 are connected at the rear edges thereof by the rear wall 110. Theblades 98 and 102 form an acute angle relative to the wall 16a and thedirection of travel of the unit Wa.

The numeral 112 designates a second upper flexible blade affixed at itsinner edge to the outer edge of the second upper wall 114 of the vacuumunit. The second upper wall 114 and the blade affixed thereto areobliquely disposed to the wall 14a. Further provided is the second lowerflexible blade 116 affixed at its inner edge to the outer edge of thesecond lower wall 118, the wall 1ll4 being spaced from and parallel tothe wall 118. The outer end of the second upper wall 114 has formedthereon the flanges 120 secured to the wall 14a, and the outer end ofthe second lower wall 118 has formed thereon the flange 122 secured tothe wall 14a. The blades 98, 102, I12 and 116 together with the walls100, 102, 118 and 114 and the rear walls and 124 form a V-shaped mouthand suction chamber. The blades 100 and 112 form a following blade whilethe blades 102 and l 16 form a leading blade.

The upper wall 114 and the lower wall 118 are connected at the rearedges thereof by the rear wall 124 which joins the rear wall 110 at thevacuum exit or suction opening 126. The inner end of the lower blades102 and 116 together with the inner ends of the lower walls 104 and 118are spaced to form a vacuum inlet aperture 128 therebetween. The innerend of the upper blade 98 overlaps the inner end of the blade 112 andthe inner end of the upper wall I00 joins the inner end of the upperwall 114 to effect a closure wall for the housing 96. The pair of blades98 and 102 together with the pair of blades 112 and 116 form obtuseangles each obliquely positioned with respects to the walls 14a and 160which walls are parallel to the direction of travel of the washer Waover the window and wall surfaces of a building.

At the juncture of the rear walls 110 and 124 whereat the vacuum exitopening 126 is located, there is the conventional vacuum motor mountedin the housing 132 which produces the suction and vacuum between theblades of the vacuum housing 96.

The washer Wa operates in the manner the washer W operates as describedheretofore. The unit B operates as a final and complete pickup of fluidfrom the windows of a building being cleaned. As the unit B is caused tomove downwardly as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, cleaning fluid uponthe window surface is caused to travel upwardly along each of thesqueegee blades l02 and 116 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6. Thefluid moves to the inner ends of the blades and to the vacuum inletaperture 128 and where it is sucked into the suction housing 132 havinga conventional motor and suction fan from which it is exhausted throughoutlet 133. As the blades of unit B are caused to pass over window andwall surfaces the oblique disposition of the same collects the water onthe surface and as the blades disposition of pass over a raised crossbarthe action is the same as heretofore described with regard to the bladesof housing 47 and specifically referred to in FIG. 5.

in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 is illustrated an additional embodiment of theinvention wherein the washer unit Wb is the same as W and Wa except forthe squeegee vacuum pickup unit C. The parts of the washer Wb that areidentical bear the same reference numeral but accompanied by a lowercaseletter b.

The squeegee water vacuum pickup unit C, includes as a part of thevacuum housing 134 the upper flexible blade 136 affixed at its inneredge to the outer edge of the upper wall 138 of the vacuum unit. Theupper wall 138 and the blade thereon are obliquely disposed to the walls14b and 16b and the direction of travel of the washer unit Wb. Furtherprovided is the lower flexible blade 140 affixed at its inner edge tothe outer edge of the lower wall 142, the wall 142, being spaced fromand parallel to the wall 138. The outer end of the upper wall 138 hasformed thereon the flange 44 which is secured to the wall 16b and theopposed outer end of the wall is formed with the flange 46 which issecured to the wall 14b. The lower wall 142 has formed on one endthereof the flange 148 which is secured to the wall 16b and the otherend formed with the flange which is secured to the wall 14b. The walls138 and 142 are secured to a rear wall 144 which together with theblades I36 and 140 form a suction cavity.

The rear wall 144 has formed in one end thereof a first suction port 146which is connected to the suction conduit 148. The suction conduit isconnected to the housing 150 in which is mounted a conventional vacuummotor which produces the suction and vacuum between the blades of thevacuum housing 134. Formed in the other end of the rear wall 144 is asecond suction port 152 which is connected to the suction conduit 148.

The unit C may be used to pick up and clean in one direction of travelupon window surfaces as indicated by the arrow at the left of FIG. 9 andin the opposed direction of travel as indicated by the arrow at theright of FIG. 9. When the unit Wb is caused to move in the direction ofthe arrow at the left of H0. 9, cleaning fluid is caused to travel alongthe lower blade M0 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 9. The fluid anddirt comes to outer end of the blade 140 where the suction existing atthe outer ends of the blades draws the fluid into the housing 134 andinto the suction port 146 where it moves through the conduit 148 to thehousing 150 from where it is exhausted out the outlet 154 by means of aconventional motor and suction fan. With the blades ll36 and 140obliquely positioned to the line of travel of the washer Wb the bladescollect fluid on the surfaces to be washed and the same pick up thefluid and water at a window crossbar such as 92 in the mannerhereinbefore described.

The unit C may be mounted in a washer unit such as Wb with the brush andfluid nozzle units as illustrated in FlGS. 1-7 preceding the unitrelative to the line of travel of the washer. As a result, the line oftravel of the unit C would be in the direction of travel indicated bythe arrow on the right of FIG. 9, whereby fluid and dirt would be causedto travel along the blade 136 to the outer end of the blade and besucked into the suction port 152 and thence through the conduit 148,housing 150 and return line 154. When the unit C is moved in thedirection of the arrow at the left of FIG. 9, the suction port 152 isshut off by means of the butterfly valve 156 whereby only the suctionport 146 is operated. Similarly when the unit C is in a device for usein the opposite direction the suction port 146 is closed off by means ofthe butterfly valve 158 with the butterfly valve 156 open. When thebutterfly valve 158 is open for operation of the device as in FIG. 9 thevalve 156 is closed.

I claim:

1. A device movable over the window and wall surfaces of a building andhaving means for washing the surfaces, said device having squeegeevacuum pickup means to clean the surfaces, the improvement in saidsqueegee pickup means, said improvement including in combination:

a. a housing having b. suction means connected to and communicatingtherewith, c. said housing having a mouth, d. said mouth having a firstflexible means along one side thereof, e. saidmouth having secondflexible means along another side thereof opposed to and parallel tosaid first flexible means and spaced from said first flexible meansthroughout its length with the ends of said first and second flexiblemeans open at each end, said housing rigidly connected to the device anddisposed relative thereto with said flexible means thereof positionedobliquely and fixed with respect to the direction of travel of thedevice in either direction over the building surfaces.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said first and second flexible meanare each a rectilinear blade.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said mouth is V-shaped in formation.

4. The device of claim 3 in which a. said suction means is connected tosaid housing adjacent the apex of said V-shaped mouth and b. said firstblades have an opening formed therein adjacent the apex of said mouthand communicating with said housing.

5. The device of claim 2 in which the mouth of the housing isrectilinear.

6. The device of claim 5 in which said suction means is positionedadjacent at least one end of said rectilinear mouth.

7. The device of claim 5 in which said suction means includes twoinlets, one of said inlets connected to and adjacent one end of saidhousing and the other of said inlets connected to and adjacent the otherend of said housing.

8. The device of claim 1 in which said mouth is V-shaped in formation.

9. The device of claim 8 in which said suction means in connected tosaid housing adjacent the apex of said V-shaped mouth.

1. A device movable over the window and wall surfaces of a buildIng andhaving means for washing the surfaces, said device having squeegeevacuum pickup means to clean the surfaces, the improvement in saidsqueegee pickup means, said improvement including in combination: a. ahousing having b. suction means connected to and communicatingtherewith, c. said housing having a mouth, d. said mouth having a firstflexible means along one side thereof, e. said mouth having secondflexible means along another side thereof opposed to and parallel tosaid first flexible means and spaced from said first flexible meansthroughout its length with the ends of said first and second flexiblemeans open at each end, f. said housing rigidly connected to the deviceand disposed relative thereto with said flexible means thereofpositioned obliquely and fixed with respect to the direction of travelof the device in either direction over the building surfaces.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1 in which said first and second flexible mean are eacha rectilinear blade.
 3. The device of claim 2 in which said mouth isV-shaped in formation.
 4. The device of claim 3 in which a. said suctionmeans is connected to said housing adjacent the apex of said V-shapedmouth and b. said first blades have an opening formed therein adjacentthe apex of said mouth and communicating with said housing.
 5. Thedevice of claim 2 in which the mouth of the housing is rectilinear. 6.The device of claim 5 in which said suction means is positioned adjacentat least one end of said rectilinear mouth.
 7. The device of claim 5 inwhich said suction means includes two inlets, one of said inletsconnected to and adjacent one end of said housing and the other of saidinlets connected to and adjacent the other end of said housing.
 8. Thedevice of claim 1 in which said mouth is V-shaped in formation.
 9. Thedevice of claim 8 in which said suction means in connected to saidhousing adjacent the apex of said V-shaped mouth.